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Students are entitled to tests that teach them about real-world tasks and contexts.
- What challenges do experts and citizens actually face?
- What does it mean to “do” history, science, math, etc.?
- What situations and experiences are students likely to face?
Authenticity refers not just to tasks but to context, a realistic mixture of
- Purpose(s)
- Resource constraints/dilemmas
- Setting/“Noise”
- Audience
- Clarity/ambiguity of task
- Incentives
Authenticity requires scoring the effectiveness of performance, not just the good-faith effort.
- Did the performer accomplish the purpose?
- Did the performance achieve the desired goal/impact?
- Was the audience satisfied?
- Can the performer repeat the assignment at a later date? (See the Learning Pyramid).
Authentic Learning:
- From simple to complex performance—not just drills and facts first and performance later
- Performance requires judgment, practice in using a repertoire.
- Curriculum should be developed “backwards” from task analyses, real-world performance standards.
- A spiral, not a linear curriculum—with built-in rehearsal and revision opportunities.
Go to Problem Based Learning
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